Our third and final Race Preview for the 2024 NASCAR Oval GP takes a look at what we can expect from the title contenders and Trophy battles in EuroNASCAR 2.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is back at an oval circuit for the first time in five years. Raceway Venray in the Netherlands is the track that will host NASCAR Oval GP, the fourth round of the 2024 season.
The half-mile oval has grown a reputation as one of the biggest short tracks in Europe thanks to its high speed and unique corners, which feature a progressive banking of 10–25° that promotes the usage of the outside lane as the ideal racing lane.
This made for a challenging circuit to master, as short tracks generally preferred the inside lane as the lane of choice. Maintaining momentum will be the key and as is tradition for oval racing, the tiniest mistakes can lead to the biggest consequences.
Nevertheless, the unpredictability of oval racing is something that has been long missing from EuroNASCAR and with 34 drivers and 22 teams set to enter, there’s plenty of interest from the competitors to try out this one-of-a-kind experience.
Twenty EuroNASCAR 2 drivers are set to enter the 70-lap race that will be held on Saturday, a proof that interest is high among the competitors of EuroNASCAR’s junior division to try out the challenges of short track racing at the high banks of Raceway Venray.
Preparation is going to be the key to mastering the half-mile oval and current championship leader Martin Doubek is among those who knows how to make himself ready for the unique event.
Doubek actually made his debut at Venray nine years ago and while the results have yet to come by, a fastest lap from the latest Venray race in 2019 showed that the Czech drivers have what it takes to be in contention for the victory.
However, Doubek knows that there’s plenty of rivals that are fast in the ovals. This will include Gil Linster, his own teammate at Hendriks Motorsport. Doubek is no slouch at the ovals, but Linster’s experience at this category of motorsport is like no other.
The Luxembourger actually raced full-time in the United States for a few years and while COVID-19 has forced him to stay in Europe for the foreseeable future, his performance in the ARCA race at Daytona showed that his oval racing skills have not diminished at all.
Outside of the Hendriks duo, Thomas Krasonis, Melvin de Groot, Michael Bleekemolen and Arianna Casoli were the only ones among the full-time competitors to have directly participated in the real racing experience at the ovals.
Fresh off his maiden podium and pole position at Brands Hatch, Krasonis will be eager to show the world that his experience that he gained from racing at New Smyrna is something that could lead the Greek driver to his first victory in EuroNASCAR 2.
Race Planet Team Bleekemolen’s duo of de Groot and Bleekemolen will have the support of the home fans as they continue their quest to dominate the Legend Trophy, the sub-classification for drivers aged 40 and above.
De Groot has yet to race at an oval in EuroNASCAR, but he made impressions in previous outings at Venray’s local V8 Oval Series. Bleekemolen, on the other hand, did take part in the Venray race of 2019 and is hoping to repeat his top-10 feat from five years ago.
Casoli continues to make steady improvements on her ninth season in the sport and EuroNASCAR’s return to oval racing is something that she had been looking forward to when she announced her plans to return to SpeedHouse for the 2024 season.
When she took to the grid for the start of the NASCAR Oval GP, it also meant that Casoli will be two starts away from becoming the first EuroNASCAR 2 driver to hit the 100 starts milestone.
There’s also two additional drivers – both with oval experience – that are expected to shake up the running order in EuroNASCAR 2 at Venray.
Miguel Gomes, another driver with ARCA experience at Daytona, will be making his return to the series as a replacement driver for the injured Roberto Benedetti at CAAL Racing.
Additionally, in a news that was only confirmed on Tuesday, Ryan Vargas has announced plans to do the double duty with the No. 30 3F Racing, sponsored by both Critical Path Security and Leargas.
The American has two goals for Venray: Gain more track time in his European tour and earn a shot at becoming the first US driver to win a championship race in EuroNASCAR.
Of course, a lack of track time at the ovals will not exclude other drivers from the victory contention at Venray. In fact, some drivers have taken extra steps to get themselves ready for what’s to come this weekend.
Thomas Toffel and Brands Hatch race winner Jack Davidson both used the simulator provided by their respective sponsors SIMATOK and GT Omega to learn the tips and tricks of driving at an oval, while Patrick Schober learned important lessons after his test at the Natschbach-Loipersbach dirt oval course.
With Mario Ercoli not entering the NASCAR Oval GP, Julien Rehberg and Florian Richard are presented with the golden opportunity to resume their one-on-one showdown in the Rookie Trophy.
The German and the Frenchman were the only drivers to have taken the top step in the sub-classification for debuting drivers in 2024 so far and it’s expected that this trend will continue on Saturday.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.